The Lost City of Z
A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon
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4.1 • 357 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager comes a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction “with all the pace and excitement of a movie thriller”(The New York Times) that unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century—the story of the legendary British explorer who ventured into the Amazon jungle in search of a fabled civilization and never returned.
"[Grann is] one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine
After stumbling upon a hidden trove of diaries, acclaimed writer David Grann set out to determine what happened to the British explorer Percy Fawcett and his quest for the Lost City of Z. For centuries Europeans believed the Amazon, the world’s largest rain forest, concealed the glittering kingdom of El Dorado. Thousands had died looking for it, leaving many scientists convinced that the Amazon was truly inimical to humankind. In 1925 Fawcett ventured into the Amazon to find an ancient civilization, hoping to make one of the most important discoveries in history. Then he vanished. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.”
In this masterpiece, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle.
Look for David Grann’s latest #1 New York Times bestselling book, The Wager!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1925, renowned British explorer Col. Percy Harrison Fawcett embarked on a much publicized search to find the city of Z, site of an ancient Amazonian civilization that may or may not have existed. Fawcett, along with his grown son Jack, never returned, but that didn't stop countless others, including actors, college professors and well-funded explorers from venturing into the jungle to find Fawcett or the city. Among the wannabe explorers is Grann, a staff writer for the New Yorker, who has bad eyes and a worse sense of direction. He became interested in Fawcett while researching another story, eventually venturing into the Amazon to satisfy his all-consuming curiosity about the explorer and his fatal mission. Largely about Fawcett, the book examines the stranglehold of passion as Grann's vigorous research mirrors Fawcett's obsession with uncovering the mysteries of the jungle. By interweaving the great story of Fawcett with his own investigative escapades in South America and Britain, Grann provides an in-depth, captivating character study that has the relentless energy of a classic adventure tale.
Customer Reviews
One of the best books I’ve read
I’ve reread this book three times and it’s topic still fascinates me. Grann explores Fawcett’s disappearance from multiple perspectives as he retraced his steps through the Amazon. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone!
Not all that interesting
I really liked "Collapse" and "Born to Run" and was hoping to learn something about nature and human hardships but this book focused more on exploring the main character's emotional toll he put on himself, his family, and his expeditioners. The last chapter was very fascinating however.
Incredible story
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author, Grann, had researched Fawcett and all the other explorers who traveled with him. So much interesting information about South America, the geographical areas, the various Indians that inhabit the countries, the cultures, and the race between the countries and various explorers to not only map the Amazonian region, but to find a lost city in a quest for fame, glory and wealth.